Articles by W. Frederick Zimmerman

With The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Standard Edition  only a few days away, it's time to start re-reading the whole series one more time ... this time with the assistance of HP expert and author of the best-selling  The Unauthorized Harry Potter Quiz Book: 165 Questions Ranging from The Sorcerer's Stone to The Deathly Hallows, Dr. Graeme Davis.  Check out his newest,  Re-Read HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE Today! An Unauthorized Guide ... and watch for his "instant analysis" of Beedle the Bard!

Because you  have purchased at least one book in the Modern Warships series from Nimble Books,  you may be interested in the latest book in the series.

  DDG - 1000 Zumwalt, U.S. Navy "Stealth" Destroyer

Dear readers,

I am proud to tell you about Richard Worth's   In the Shadow of the Battleship: Considering the Cruisers of World War II , which Nimble Books has just published.  I have been reading about WWII naval history for forty-plus years, and this is certainly the best book I have ever read about the cruisers of the era.  I heartily recommend it!

Best,

Fred Zimmerman
Publisher, Nimble Books LLC

  In the Shadow of the Battleship: Considering the Cruisers of World War II 

Dear readers,

I am proud to tell you about Richard Worth's   In the Shadow of the Battleship: Considering the Cruisers of World War II , which Nimble Books has just published.  I have been reading about WWII naval history for forty-plus years, and this is certainly the best book I have ever read about the cruisers of the era.  I heartily recommend it!

Best,

Fred Zimmerman
Publisher, Nimble Books LLC

  In the Shadow of the Battleship: Considering the Cruisers of World War II 

Hi,

A quick FYI that the 10th book in our series of pictorial keepsakes devoted to the Nimitz class carriers is now available.

Enjoy!

  CVN-75 HARRY S. TRUMAN, U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier 

Hi,

you are receiving this message because you have purchased one of the Modern Ships series of picture books from Nimble Books.  The next book in the series is now available.

 











CVN-74 JOHN C. STENNIS, U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier

Next up: U.S.S. Harry S. Truman, CVN-75.

And a special treat: in 2009 we will publish the definitive book about the UK CV-F (aircraft carrier, future) by noted British defence correspondent Tim Mahon.

Best,

Fred Zimmerman
Publisher, Nimble Books LLC
wfz@nimblebooks.com

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April 2008:   Iowa Class Battleships and Alaska Class Large Cruisers Conversion Projects 1942-1964: An Illustrated Technical Reference by Wayne Scarpaci - beautiful paintings of fantastical battleship makeovers that never occurred ... but should have!
May 2008:
Battleship YAMATO: Why She Matters Today
June 2008:
The John Boyd Roundtable from Zenpundit et al.
July 2008:
Through Stranger Eyes by Hugo and Nebula Award winner David Brin

Dear readers,

I am fond of  Cool Maps of France's Overseas Territories and Departments because I love exotic places.  This is a sort of companion volume to

  Cool Maps of France: Paris and Beyond






I say "sort of" because the business case for doing this book was pretty tenuous compared to the case for Cool Maps of France.  France is one of the most heavily touristed (sic?) countries in the world, and a quick Amazon search reveals that books on "France maps" sell well.  I can't say the same about "maps of St. Pierre and Miquelon" or any of the 20+ other French overseas territories illustrated in this book.   Nevertheless, I felt impelled to do this book, simply because I think the places shown in it are cool.

This book includes the following 48 figures and tables:

Figure 1.  France's overseas territories and departments

Table 1. Status and population

Table 2.  Uninhabited islands

Figure 2. Martinique 1632 (Library of Congress)

Figure 3.  Martinique (Central Intelligence Agency 2006)

Figure 4. Fort-de-France 1984  (U.S. State Department)

Figure 5.  French Guiana shaded relief 1992 (Central Intelligence Agency)

Figure 6.  French Guiana political 1992 (Central Intelligence Agency)

Figure 7.  French Guiana vegetation 1972 (Central Intelligence Agency)  The territory is mostly rainforest.

Figure 8.  French Guiana economic activity 1972 (Central Intelligence Agency)

Figure 9. French Polynesia 1989 (Central Intelligence Agency)

Figure 10. Guadeloupe (Central Intelligence Agency)

Figure 11.  Île Saint-Barthélemy (Central Intelligence Agency)

Figure 12. Île Saint-Martin (Central Intelligence Agency)

Figure 13. Mayotte  (Central Intelligence Agency). The Comoros Islands are to the west.

Figure 14. Location of Mayotte (WikiMedia Commons, 2008)

Figure 15.  New Caledonia (Central Intelligence Agency)

Figure 16.  Réunion (Central Intelligence Agency)

Figure 17. Réunion – the day after the volcano erupted, January 16, 2002 (NASA).  Red, indicating patches of active lava, is just barely visible at the volcanic cone on the southwestern  island.

Figure 18.  Île Saint-Pierre and Miquelon (Central Intelligence Agency)

Figure 19. Saint-Pierre and Miquelon (NASA)

Figure 20. Îles Wallis and Iles de Horne (Central Intelligence Agency)

Figure 23.  Île Alofi, to the southeast of Futuna (NASA).

Figure 22.  Futuna Island (NASA)

Figure 21.  Uvea, one of the Wallis Islands (NASA).

Figure 24. Île Amsterdam (WikiMedia Commons)

Figure 25. Île St. Paul (WikiMedia Commons)

Figure 26.  Bassas da India  (Central Intelligence Agency)

Figure 27. Bassas da India from space (NASA)

Figure 28.  Clipperton Island (Central Intelligence Agency)

Figure 29. Clipperton Island from space (NASA)

Figure 30.  Crozet Islands (Central Intelligence Agency)

Figure 31. Crozet Islands eastern group (NASA)

Figure 32. Ile Europa (Central Intelligence Agency)

Figure 33. Île Europa land use (WikiMedia Commons)

Figure 34. Île Europa (NASA)

Figure 35. French Antarctic and Southern Lands (Central Intelligence Agency)

Figure 36.  Îles Glorieuses (Central Intelligence Agency)

Figure 37.  Îles Glorieuses (NASA)

Figure 38.  Île Juan de Nova (Central Intelligence Agency)

Figure 39.  Île Juan de Nova (NASA).

Figure 40. Île Kerguelen (Central Intelligence Agency)

Figure 41. Île Kerguelen (NASA)

Figure 42. Landsat infrared image of Kerguelen (NASA)

Figure 43.  Baie du Morbihan, Kerguelen Islands (NASA)

Figure 44. Map of Kerguelen drawn during the expedition of Captain James Cook (WikiMedia Commons)

Figure 45. Île Tromelin (Central Intelligence Agency)

Figure 46. Île Tromelin (NASA)

If you are like me, you will love flipping through these beautifully printed color maps of some of the world's most isolated and unusual places.

Enjoy!

Cordially,

Fred Zimmerman
Publisher, Nimble Books LLC

P.S. Check out the other books in the Cool Maps series:

• Cool Maps for Curious Kids #2: Afghanistan, an Unauthorized Tour of the Land of A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS and THE KITE RUNNER (Cool Maps for Curious Kids) 
• Cool Maps of Baghdad: the Emerald City and other cities of Iraq 
• Cool Maps of Cuba: An Atlas of History, Population, Resources Before and After Fidel Castro 
• Cool Maps of Indonesia: An Unauthorized View of the Land of EAT, PRAY, LOVE 
• Cool Maps of Iran: Persian History, Oil Wealth, Politics, Population, Religion, Satellite, WMD and More 
• Cool Maps of Iraq: History, Oil Wealth, Politics, Population, Religion, Satellite, and More

Dear readers,

I am very pleased to bring you this beautiful book in our new "nimble" format:

  SSN-23 JIMMY CARTER, U.S. Navy Submarine (Seawolf class)
 
with the stunning orange cover photo and full color interior.  The contents of the book are:

Introduction

Buy This Book If:

Acknowledgements

Key Facts

Specifications

Ships in the Seawolf Class

Remarks at the Naming Ceremony in 1998

Figure 1.  SSN-23 incorporates new design features for an “expeditionary” future.

Figure 2. Positive thinking about Carter's role.  Interestingly, none of these missions look much like the cable tapping missions that made Carter’s predecessor Parche the most decorated sub in U.S. naval history.

Figure 3.  President Carter being given a model of the future Jimmy Carter at the naming ceremony.  Personally, I'd have held out for the bigger one.

Figure 4.  A full-length view of the model, courtesy Motionmodels.com.  Note the conceptual representation of the additional maneuvering units fore and aft.  These below-waterline fixtures  will most likely never be seen in public while Jimmy Carter is in active service.

Figure 5.  Ship's crest.

Figure 6.  A detailed view of the propeller, rudder, and aft maneuvering units (courtesy Motion Models).  The actual appearance of the maneuvering units may be somewhat different.

Figure 5.  Moving her outdoors for the first time, June 24, 2004.

Figure 6. Sneaking out a little early.

Figure 7.  The Multi-Mission Platform that makes Jimmy Carter unique.

Figure 8. Inserting the forward upper module in the MMP.

Figure 9.  Leaving Electric Boat to begin Alpha Sea Trials, November 2004.

Figure 10.  During sea trials, February 2005.

Figure 11.  The commissioning ceremony, February 19, 2005.

Figure 12.  The crew manning the ship during the commissioning ceremony.

Figure 13.  Carter being "depermed", or demagnetized, to reduce her vulnerability to weapons that detect magnetic signatures.

Figure 14. Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn about to set off on an overnight trip, August 12, 2005.

Figure 15.  Departing Kings Bay, Georgia with the Carters on board.

Figure 16.  Carter on Carter.  This is the boat’s mess room.

Figure 17.  Returning to Kings Bay after taking Jimmy Carter on an overnight.

An Appropriate Name

Why SSN-23 Jimmy Carter Matters Today

References

Colophon

I found some terrific AP photos taken inside JIMMY CARTER--I wish I had been able to use them!  but the book is pretty nice.

If you like this sort of thing, you may want to take a look at a couple of other titles in our "Cool Ships" series:



BB-67 MONTANA, U.S. Navy Battleship: Why She Matters Today 





 CVN-78 GERALD R. FORD, U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier 


Relative sales of these titles will determine whether we do more subs next, or return to the old-fashioned targets capital ships. ;-)

Very cordially yours,

Fred Zimmerman
Publisher, Nimble Books LLC